Companion Plants For Blueberries In Containers

Plant blueberries near flowers like lilacs and azaleas. Lilacs attract pollinators and provide shade with its fragrant blossoms. Towering, lush rhododendrons and azaleas offer shade and attractive blossoms during particularly hot summers, and thrive best in the same hot, acidic environment as blueberries.

What can you not plant next to blueberries?

There are a few types of garden plants to avoid placing near blueberries. This includes nightshades like tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, as well as brassicas like kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. You may also wish to avoid planting melons and salad greens like lettuce near your blueberries.

What is good to put around blueberry bushes?

Pine needles, wood chips or bark mulch work well as mulches for blueberries. Avoid using dyed mulches (black or red). Avoid using synthetic mulches like black plastic or landscape fabric.

Can you plant strawberries under blueberry bushes?

They both can act as beautiful landscape plants and they can be grown together. Strawberries act like ground cover to keep the soil around the blueberry shrubs moist and weed-free. Any way you decide to plant them, you will be happy you did!

Do blueberries grow better in pots or in the ground?

Blueberry bushes like very acidic soil, and a pH level between 4.0 to 4.8 is required for the plants to absorb water and nutrients and produce berries. Because most garden soil is not naturally this acidic, planting in containers enables you to better control your soil's acidity levels.

Why do you need to plant 2 blueberry bushes?

Blueberries are partially self-fertile, so you will harvest more and larger berries by planting two or more varieties together. Planting more than one variety can also extend the harvest season.

Is coffee grounds good for blueberry bushes?

If you are wanting more acid for azaleas, blueberries, rhododendrons and evergreens, use fresh coffee grounds, as used grounds have pretty much a neutral pH.

Do blueberries like Miracle Gro?

How to Fertilize Blueberries. Blueberry bushes will grow strong and prolific when you use Miracle-Gro® soil and plant food together to create the ideal nutrition-filled growing environment.

What is the best time of year to plant blueberry bushes?

In most areas, it's ideal to plant blueberries in the fall or spring. You can plant blueberry bushes as close as 2 or 2.5 feet apart to form solid hedgerows, or space them up to 6 feet apart so they grow individually. If you plant in rows, allow 8 to 10 feet between the rows.

What does Epsom salt do for blueberries?

If your blueberries need magnesium, Epsom salt grants temporary relief. In deficient soils, broadcast 1/4 cup of Epsom salt in a 10-inch diameter around the plant, and water thoroughly. If high pH is the real culprit, extra magnesium in the soil won't help, and Epsom salt's sulfur doesn't affect pH.

How do you make blueberry bushes produce more?

Always plant blueberries in a sunny spot. Blueberries require full sun (6 hours or more of direct sunlight per day) to grow and yield well. Plants will grow more slowly and produce less fruit if they are planted in too much shade.

How do you winterize blueberries?

Protecting blueberries over winter by covering the plants and mulching around them can be beneficial. It is important when covering the plants to trap heat much like a small greenhouse. A frame of PVC covered and securely anchored can accomplish this purpose. Also, keep your plants moist.

What is the best ground cover for blueberries?

Mulches with low pH levels, such as shredded fall leaves, pine bark and pine needles, are especially well-suited to the acid-loving blueberry.

What fruit grows well with blueberries?

Growing low to the ground, the strawberry plants work as a groundcover for the blueberries. Strawberries prefer soil pH of between 5.4 and 6.5 generally, but generally do just fine in the same soil as blueberries.

How far apart plant blueberries and strawberries?

Plant in March or April, and do not cover the crown. The common way to plant these is in a matted-row configuration, with 24 inches between plants at time of planting.

What size container do blueberries need?

Mature blueberries need a container at least 24 inches deep and about 24-30 inches wide. When planting smaller shrubs, start with a smaller container and repot as it grows. Repot in late summer - early fall so roots have enough time to grow before winter. Don't expect to harvest blueberries the first year.

How do you winterize blueberry plants in pots?

Pile four to eight inches of straw mulch in and around the pots, but be mindful not to pack mulch against the plants' stems. Containers can also be wrapped in several layers of burlap or insulating material. Regardless of zone, be aware of any extreme cold spells and provide additional insulation or shelter as needed.

How long do blueberries last in pots?

The easiest way to store blueberries is to use the breathable container they came in. Go ahead and pop a paper towel in the bottom to absorb any excess moisture that may leak out. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

How do I make my blueberry bushier?

For mature blueberry plants that are unpruned and overgrown: Perform a careful renewal pruning to encourage new stem production by cutting half of branches back all the way down to the ground. Always cut off the oldest, thickest ones. This forces new canes to grow from the roots.

How long does it take for a blueberry bush to grow to full size?

Plants won't have much fruit the first 2 to 3 years. Harvest is bigger after 5 years. Blueberry plants grow slowly and reach full size in 8 to 10 years. Each winter, prune out old, weak and dead wood.